---
title: "Growth Mindset: What It Is, How It Works, Cited Research & Best Free Videos"
description: "Growth Mindset is a guided practice built on the belief that abilities, intelligence, and personality develop through effort, strategy, and learning from feedback, rehearsed by reframing setbacks as part of learning rather than proof of a fixed limit."
canonical: "https://insighttimer.com/techniques/life-coaching/growth-mindset"
category: "Life Coaching"
last_reviewed: "2026-07-28"
---

# What is Growth Mindset?

Growth Mindset is a guided practice built on the belief that abilities, intelligence, and personality develop through effort, strategy, and learning from feedback, rehearsed by reframing setbacks as part of learning rather than proof of a fixed limit (Jiang et al., 2023).

**Evidence: Indirect Evidence.** A 2020 meta-analysis and single-session randomized trials link reframing setbacks to modest drops in adolescent depression and anxiety, with effects roughly d=0.4 against active controls in youth. The work is youth-concentrated and replicates inconsistently, and a study across 78 cultures (612,004 adolescents) found the benefit weak and sometimes reversed where fixed-mindset norms dominate. The idea is testable but not established.

Last updated: 2026-07-28

We are still reviewing this page. Our research team checks every technique page for accuracy and evidence quality before final release. Details may change as that review completes. The evidence badge shows our current reading of the published research.

## Explore Growth Mindset

- [Trust Restoration: 10-Minute Reconnection](https://insighttimer.com/sarahblondin/guided-meditations/remembering-trust) — Sarah Blondin, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.9/5
- [Stop Limiting Life's Possibility](https://insighttimer.com/sadhguru/guided-meditations/stop-limiting-lifes-possibility) — Sadhguru Jaggi, Talks, 13 min, rated 4.7/5
- [Kelti & The Dragon](https://insighttimer.com/pub708112/guided-meditations/kelti-and-the-dragon) — Jacqueline Watson, Guided, 14 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Heidi Cherry & Vaya - Be Real](https://insighttimer.com/corymorgan/guided-meditations/heidi-cherry-and-vaya-be-real) — Cory Morgan (formerly Cory Cochiolo), Guided, 17 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Heidi Cherry & Vaya - Aaron's Soccer Game](https://insighttimer.com/corymorgan/guided-meditations/heidi-cherry-and-vaya-aarons-soccer-game) — Cory Morgan (formerly Cory Cochiolo), Guided, 21 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Jonathan Livingston Seagull By Richard Bach (Part One)](https://insighttimer.com/thomwalters/guided-meditations/jonathan-livingston-seagull-by-richard-bach-part-one) — Thom , Talks, 21 min, rated 4.7/5

### Growth Mindset effort level

#### How hard is Growth Mindset?

**Hard** (3 / 4). When an "I can't" story shows up around failure or criticism, you catch it and rebuild it into a learnable frame, and that reframing is real work.

- **Mental Effort** (3 / 4): Spotting a fixed belief mid-thought and genuinely reworking it into "not yet" takes sustained, deliberate mental effort.
- **Emotional Depth** (1 / 4): Frustration or a sting of insecurity may brush past, but the work stays in reframing rather than opening deep feeling.
- **Physical Intensity** (1 / 4): You stay seated and still the whole time; this all happens in how you think.
- **Prior Knowledge** (2 / 4): Come with a real setback or hard moment in mind, since the reframing needs something concrete to work on.

## Recommended dose: How Much Growth Mindset Practice Do You Need?

### beginner

Randomized controlled trials show that a single, self-contained session teaching a growth mindset (the belief that personal traits are malleable) can reduce risk factors for anxiety and depression in adolescents. The one-time delivery is directly trial-tested; the exact minutes per session were not consistently reported, so the duration shown is a conservative editorial estimate typical of brief digital sessions.

- Session length: 20–30 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 1 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

### intermediate

The Shamiri randomized clinical trial delivered growth mindset (alongside gratitude and value affirmation) as a 4-week group program that alleviated depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. The weekly, multi-week structure is trial-tested; the per-session length was not specified, so the duration shown is a conservative editorial estimate for a guided group session.

- Session length: 45–60 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 1 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

### extended

No direct dose evidence; editorial synthesis. Because the benefits of one-time sessions can fade over the months that follow, brief periodic refreshers are suggested to help sustain a growth mindset over time. These maintenance figures are not based on a specific study and should be treated as starting points.

- Session length: 10–15 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 1–2 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

*About this card.* These recommendations reflect a mix of trial-tested delivery formats and editorial estimates where session length or maintenance dosing was not reported in the evidence. They are not a substitute for personalised guidance from a qualified practitioner.

## Related techniques to Growth Mindset

- [Self-Coaching Practice](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/life-coaching/self-coaching-practice)
- [Affirmation Meditation](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/affirmations/affirmation-meditation)
- [Life Transitions](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/life-coaching/life-transitions)

## Common questions about Growth Mindset

### What does the research say about Growth Mindset?

*evidence*

Randomized trials show brief growth mindset sessions reduce depression symptoms in at-risk teens, with a moderate effect at nine months, and reviews link the mindset to slightly lower distress and more active coping. Evidence concentrates in adolescents; several trials find no benefit for anxiety or well-being, and adult and long-term data remain thin.

### Who is Growth Mindset good for?

*good for*

Growth Mindset helps most for adolescents and school-aged young people facing stress, setbacks, or low mood, where brief and school-based trials support reduced depression symptoms and general distress. It may also suit students and adults who read a setback as a fixed verdict on ability, though adult evidence is thin and mostly indirect.

### Is Growth Mindset safe?

*safety*

Building a growth mindset is low-risk for most healthy adults, with no known physical hazards; at worst a reframe fails to land on a hard day. Anyone living with depression or thoughts of self-harm should treat Growth Mindset as a supplement to professional care, never a replacement, and seek real-world support first.

### How does Growth Mindset work?

*how it works*

Growth Mindset works mainly through cognitive reappraisal: deliberately reframing a setback as part of learning rather than proof of a fixed limit, which strengthens a sense of control and makes continued effort feel worthwhile. A proposed second pathway is faster settling of the body's fight-or-flight stress response, drawn from small adolescent trials.

## Growth Mindset tracks & video

Explore guided sessions to deepen your Growth Mindset technique.

- [Trust Restoration: 10-Minute Reconnection](https://insighttimer.com/sarahblondin/guided-meditations/remembering-trust) — Sarah Blondin, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.9/5
- [Stop Limiting Life's Possibility](https://insighttimer.com/sadhguru/guided-meditations/stop-limiting-lifes-possibility) — Sadhguru Jaggi, Talks, 13 min, rated 4.7/5
- [Re-Thinking](https://insighttimer.com/adamgrant/guided-meditations/re-thinking) — Adam Grant, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.7/5
- [Overcome Fear Of Failure](https://insighttimer.com/davidji/guided-meditations/overcome-fear-of-failure_1) — davidji, Guided, 21 min, rated 4.9/5
- [Life Is Too Short](https://insighttimer.com/mandilegrange/guided-meditations/life-is-too-short) — Mandi Le Grange, Guided, 3 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Stress-Is-Enhancing Mindset](https://insighttimer.com/modupeakinola/guided-meditations/stress-is-enhancing-mindset) — Modupe Akinola, Guided, 13 min, rated 4.6/5
- [Kelti & The Dragon](https://insighttimer.com/pub708112/guided-meditations/kelti-and-the-dragon) — Jacqueline Watson, Guided, 14 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Heidi Cherry & Vaya - Be Real](https://insighttimer.com/corymorgan/guided-meditations/heidi-cherry-and-vaya-be-real) — Cory Morgan (formerly Cory Cochiolo), Guided, 17 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Heidi Cherry & Vaya - Aaron's Soccer Game](https://insighttimer.com/corymorgan/guided-meditations/heidi-cherry-and-vaya-aarons-soccer-game) — Cory Morgan (formerly Cory Cochiolo), Guided, 21 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Jonathan Livingston Seagull By Richard Bach (Part One)](https://insighttimer.com/thomwalters/guided-meditations/jonathan-livingston-seagull-by-richard-bach-part-one) — Thom , Talks, 21 min, rated 4.7/5
- [The Squirrels](https://insighttimer.com/pub708112/guided-meditations/the-squirrels) — Jacqueline Watson, Guided, 14 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Growing Spiritually Every Moment, Second and Day](https://insighttimer.com/sadhguru/guided-meditations/growing-spiritually-every-moment-second-and-day) — Sadhguru Jaggi, Talks, 16 min, rated 4.7/5

## What does a Growth Mindset session involve?

A guided practice built on the belief that ability and intelligence grow with effort and learning, where you reframe setbacks from proof of a fixed limit into part of the learning process.

A session guides three moves. First you spot a fixed-mindset trigger, the moment of failure or criticism where "I can't" thinking arises. Then you notice the feelings and body tension that come with it, without arguing with them. Finally you generate a growth-oriented reframe such as "not yet" or "this challenge is growing me." It usually arrives as a short guided meditation, a brief single session, or a layperson-led group program, and it is meant to be repeated whenever a setback lands so the reframe becomes easier to reach next time.

Growth Mindset is a coaching and behaviour-change practice, not generic positive thinking or forced optimism. The reframes work by treating ability as genuinely changeable, not by denying that a setback happened. It differs from the broader mindfulness practices it borrows from, and from multi-component programs that bundle it with gratitude or study skills. It is a self-guided reflection, not a treatment for depression, anxiety, or suicidality.

### Not to be confused with

- **Positive thinking and affirmations:** Growth mindset reframes such as "I can't do this yet" are truthful reappraisals grounded in the idea that ability develops with effort, not blanket positive self-statements or a denial that something is hard. It reinterprets a setback rather than papering over it.
- **Fixed mindset:** A fixed mindset is the opposite belief, that intelligence and ability are set and unchangeable; growth mindset practice is the deliberate work of noticing that fixed belief when it surfaces and cultivating the view that abilities can grow. In young people, rigid fixed beliefs have been linked to worse outcomes.

## How does Growth Mindset work?

Growth Mindset works mainly through cognitive reappraisal, deliberately reframing a setback so it registers as part of learning rather than proof of a fixed limit, which takes some of the sting out of the moment and makes effort feel worth continuing. In single-session trials with at-risk adolescents, this shift toward feeling more in control of difficulty predicted fewer depression and anxiety symptoms months later (Schleider et al., 2019), (Schleider et al., 2016). A second thread is arousal downregulation, the settling of the body's revved-up stress response, so that challenge and criticism feel less physically alarming over time. These are proposed pathways drawn from small adolescent samples, not confirmed mechanisms.

### Possible mechanisms

**Cognitive Reappraisal**

When a setback stops feeling like proof you're just not good enough, the sting eases and effort starts to feel worth continuing again. That shift is cognitive reappraisal, deliberately reframing a difficulty as part of learning rather than a fixed limit; in studies with teens, feeling more in control of setbacks this way was linked to fewer depression and anxiety symptoms over time (Schleider et al., 2019), (Schleider et al., 2016).

**Arousal Downregulation**

The moment a setback or criticism lands, the body tenses and the mind speeds up. Reframing that setback as part of learning appears to ease this stress response over time; in one small trial, at-risk teens who did a brief growth mindset session recovered physiologically from a lab stressor about three times faster than a comparison group (Schleider et al., 2016). This rests on a single small study, so read it as an early signal.

**Self-Narrative Restructuring**

The story you carry about yourself, "I'm just not someone who can handle this," starts to loosen when a setback is read as part of learning rather than proof of a fixed limit. Early trial evidence suggests that shifting this self-story toward "I can grow through this" goes along with a greater sense of control over difficulty and, over time, fewer depression and anxiety symptoms (Schleider et al., 2016), (Schleider et al., 2019).

## What does Growth Mindset do to the body?

The clearest bodily change measured so far is faster recovery of the stress response after something hard. In a single-session trial, at-risk teens who completed a brief growth mindset session settled back toward baseline more than three times faster than a comparison group, a reduction in sympathetic arousal, the body's fight-or-flight activation, tracked through small shifts in the skin's electrical activity (Schleider et al., 2016). In felt terms, this is the keyed-up, racing sensation after a setback easing off sooner rather than lingering. It rests on one small adolescent trial measuring a single marker, so read it as an early signal, not an established body change.

**Sympathetic arousal**

After a stressful moment, the body's alarm system stays switched on until it senses the pressure has passed. In one small trial, teens who completed a brief growth mindset session settled back toward a calm baseline more than three times faster than a comparison group (Schleider et al., 2016), a drop in sympathetic arousal, the body's fight-or-flight activation, tracked through small shifts in the skin's electrical activity, that a person may feel as the keyed-up, racing sensation easing off sooner after something hard.

## What is Growth Mindset used for?

Limited–Moderate evidence, concentrated in young people, supports Growth Mindset for depression symptoms and general distress. A single-session growth mindset trial reduced depression symptoms in at-risk adolescents (Schleider & Weisz, 2017), and a systematic review of youth programs points to reduced depressive symptoms and fewer aggressive reactions (Jiang et al., 2023); across many correlational studies, holding a growth mindset is modestly tied to lower psychological distress and more active coping (Burnette et al., 2020). Research on the broader modality, a multi-component group program that includes growth mindset content rather than this practice specifically, has eased teen depression and anxiety (Osborn et al., 2021), and one longitudinal study found a stronger growth mindset predicted better self-control months later (Rong-Man et al., 2024). What is not yet supported: large trials in adults, long-term outcomes for the guided-meditation form, and any claim that it treats a diagnosed condition; anxiety results in particular are mixed.

**Anxiety Relief**

The looping "I can't handle this" thoughts that feed anxiety can loosen when a setback is treated as part of learning rather than proof you are stuck. In a randomized trial with at-risk teens, a brief growth mindset session eased anxiety alongside low mood, though the anxiety effects were smaller and less consistent than the effects on depression (Schleider & Weisz, 2017).

**Ease Depression**

Low mood can feel like proof that nothing will ever change. Growth mindset practice works against that story by treating setbacks and hard feelings as things that can shift with effort and learning, and reviews of short programs for young people suggest it may modestly reduce depressive symptoms (Jiang et al., 2023).

## What does the research say about Growth Mindset?

Brief growth mindset sessions have reduced depression symptoms in at-risk adolescents in randomized trials, which is where the research is most consistent. One single-session trial found parent-rated youth depression improved with a Cohen's d of about 0.60, a moderate effect meaning the average teen in the program ended up lower in depression than roughly three-quarters of the comparison group, measured against a supportive-therapy control at nine months (N=96) (Schleider & Weisz, 2017). Research on the broader modality, a four-week group program that folds in growth mindset content, has eased teen depression and anxiety (Osborn et al., 2021), and a meta-analysis links a growth mindset to slightly lower distress (Burnette et al., 2020). The limits matter too: most samples are adolescents rather than adults, some trials show no benefit for anxiety or well-being (Osborn et al., 2020), and benefits can shrink or reverse in settings with strong fixed-mindset norms (Mantou & Wai, 2023).

- Meta-analyses: 1
- RCTs: 3
- Systematic reviews: 1
- Observational: 11
- Pilot: 2

### Studied populations

- children, adolescents, and adults
- high-risk adolescents
- symptomatic adolescents
- pooled all ages and diagnostic status
- school-aged children and adolescents
- adolescents at risk for internalizing problems
- adolescents
- school and university students

### Outcomes measured

- depression and anxiety symptoms
- electrodermal (autonomic) stress recovery after a social stressor
- externalizing behaviors under social stress
- indirect pathways via grit, self-efficacy, motivation, resilience
- perceived primary and secondary control as change mechanisms
- psychological distress, treatment value, active coping
- self-control
- social-emotional outcomes (depressive symptoms, aggression)

### Effect sizes

| Outcome | Effect size | 95% CI | N | Comparator | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| parent-reported youth depression | Cohen's d = 0.6 | — | 96 | supportive-therapy control | Schleider & Weisz, 2017 |
| youth-reported depression | Cohen's d = 0.32 | — | 96 | supportive-therapy control | Schleider & Weisz, 2017 |
| depressive symptoms | Cohen's d = 0.45 | 95% CI 0.19-0.71 | 413 | study-skills control | Osborn et al., 2021 |
| anxiety symptoms | Cohen's d = 0.44 | 95% CI 0.18-0.71 | 413 | study-skills control | Osborn et al., 2021 |
| self-control at T2 | standardized beta = 0.11 | — | 428 | — | Rong-Man et al., 2024 |
| depressive symptoms | Cohen's d = 0.5 | — | 103 | study-skills control | Osborn et al., 2020 |

The research is useful for setting expectations, but study methods and participant groups vary. Treat the findings as general guidance rather than a promise about any single session, and not a replacement for clinical care.

## Which studies have tested Growth Mindset?

**An examination of the moderating role of growth mindset in the relation between social stress and externalizing behaviors among adolescents**

2022

Finding: In a survey of 399 U.S. high school students aged 14 to 18, a stronger growth mindset weakened the link between family stress and problem behaviors like acting out: the more teens believed their abilities could grow, the less family stress translated into those behaviors. The same protection did not show up for stress with peers, so this appears to help specifically with pressure at home. Because the study captured a single moment in time through self-reports, it can point to a meaningful pattern but cannot prove that building a growth mindset directly causes calmer responses to family stress.

**A single‐session growth mindset intervention for adolescent anxiety and depression: 9‐month outcomes of a randomized trial**

n = 96

Finding: In this randomized trial, 96 high-risk teens aged 12 to 15 completed a single 30-minute computer-guided lesson in growth mindset, the idea that abilities can be developed through effort and strategy. Nine months later, parents reported a moderate drop in their teens' depression symptoms compared with teens who got a supportive-therapy session instead, and teens themselves reported a smaller but real improvement in mood. For someone considering this practice, it suggests that even one short, structured session can leave a lasting mark on how young people cope with low moods. Keep in mind this was a single study with a modest number of at-risk adolescents, its effect on anxiety was less consistent, and a brief exercise like this is meant to support, not replace, treatment for clinical depression.

`Cohen's d = 0.6`

**You can't change your basic ability, but you work at things, and that's how we get hard things done: Testing the role of growth mindset on response to setbacks, educational attainment, and cognitive ability.**

n = 624

Finding: In a set of experiments with 624 Chinese children aged 9 to 13, brief growth-mindset exercises did not make children more resilient after failure or improve their school grades, and nearly all the measures of motivation and effort showed no change. Whether a child already leaned toward a growth mindset also had no clear link to how well they bounced back or how they performed in class. For anyone considering this approach, the takeaway is measured: a quick mindset nudge, at least in this age group, may not deliver the resilience or academic boost it is often credited with, though these were short experimental sessions with children rather than a test of sustained, long-term practice.

`reported narratively`

**A Systematic Review of Growth Mindset Interventions Targeting Youth Social–Emotional Outcomes**

2023

Finding: This review gathered 13 papers covering 14 studies of brief growth mindset programs for school-aged children and teens, and found these short sessions shifted young people toward believing their abilities can grow, with the most promising results being lower depressive symptoms and fewer aggressive reactions to feeling socially excluded. For a young person, that suggests learning to see setbacks as changeable may ease low mood and help them respond less harshly when they feel left out. The studies varied in quality and design, so the findings point to genuine promise rather than a guaranteed result, and they apply specifically to children and adolescents rather than adults.

**Relationship Between Growth Mindset and Self-Control Amongst Chinese Primary School Students: A Longitudinal Study.**

n = 428

Finding: Following 428 Chinese primary school students (ages 9–12) over six months, this study found that children who started with a stronger belief that their abilities can grow through effort went on to show better self-control later, while stronger self-control did not lead to a more growth-oriented mindset. That one-way pattern hints that working on how you view your own potential may come first and help build the everyday discipline to follow through. The effect was small, though, and limited to a single age group in one setting, so it points to a promising direction rather than a guarantee for other people or contexts.

`standardized beta = 0.11`

**Growth mindsets and psychological distress: A meta-analysis**

n = 17,692

Finding: This meta-analysis of 72 samples covering nearly 17,700 people found that holding a growth mindset, the belief that abilities can develop with effort, was linked to lower psychological distress and to more active, problem-solving ways of coping. In everyday terms, people who saw their traits as changeable tended to face difficulties with a bit more resilience rather than resignation. The connections were consistent but small, so a growth mindset appears to be one modest contributor to well-being rather than a powerful fix. Because these are correlations rather than before-and-after intervention results, the study shows an association, not proof that shifting your mindset directly reduces distress.

`correlation r = -0.22`

**Reducing risk for anxiety and depression in adolescents: Effects of a single-session intervention teaching that personality can change.**

n = 96

Finding: In this randomized trial with 96 at-risk adolescents (ages 12–15), those who completed a single 30-minute session teaching that personality can change recovered from a stressful lab task more than three times as fast as teens given a supportive-therapy session, measured by how quickly their skin's stress response settled back down. Teens whose sense of control over setbacks rose the most also tended to show the steepest drops in depression and anxiety over the following weeks, hinting that a stronger belief in your own ability to influence outcomes is part of why the exercise helps. For a practitioner, this suggests even a brief reframing of challenges as changeable may help the body reset after stress faster, though this was one small, short study measuring a single physiological signal, so it does not prove lasting change or effects on other stress markers.

`reported narratively`

**The impact of a growth mindset on high school students' learning subjective well-being: the serial mediation role of achievement motivation and grit.**

2024

Finding: This study of high school students mapped how a growth mindset connects to their sense of well-being in learning, and found the link runs mostly through the middle: believing your abilities can grow was tied to stronger everyday drives like grit, confidence in your schoolwork, and resilience, which in turn tracked with feeling better about learning. For your own practice, this suggests a growth mindset works less like a direct switch and more like a foundation that builds the habits and self-belief that carry the real benefit. Because the study measured students at a single point in time rather than following them or testing a change, it can show these patterns travel together but cannot prove the mindset causes the improvement, and the findings come from a specific student group rather than adults or the general public.

**The mindsets × societal norm effect across 78 cultures: Growth mindsets are linked to performance weakly and well-being negatively in societies with fixed-mindset norms.**

n = 612,004

Finding: Drawing on more than 612,000 adolescents across 78 societies, this analysis found that holding a growth mindset was only weakly tied to better school performance, and its link to well-being was faint and inconsistent, even turning slightly negative in cultures where fixed-mindset thinking is the norm. In practical terms, believing your abilities can grow may give a modest lift to how you do, but it is not a guaranteed boost, and in environments that reward fixed views of talent it can sit at odds with how you feel. Because these are snapshot comparisons rather than a controlled trial, they show patterns across cultures rather than proving that a mindset directly causes these outcomes, so treat growth mindset as one context-dependent influence rather than a universal fix.

`reported narratively`

**Single-session digital intervention for adolescent depression, anxiety, and well-being: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial with Kenyan adolescents.**

n = 103

Finding: In a randomized trial with 103 Kenyan high school students aged 13 to 18, a brief digital session built around growth-mindset ideas lowered depressive symptoms by a moderate amount two weeks later, compared with a study-skills program. The same session did not meaningfully change anxiety, day-to-day well-being, or happiness, so its benefit here was specific to low mood rather than a broad lift in how teens felt. For someone considering this kind of short, self-guided practice, it points to a realistic promise: a single session may ease depressive feelings in young people, but it is not a fix-all, and this was one small, short-term study in a specific group of adolescents.

`Cohen's d = 0.5`

**What matters for adolescent suicidality: Depressive symptoms or fixed mindsets? Examination of cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between fixed mindsets and suicidal ideation**

2022

Finding: Following middle-school students over two points in time, this study found that teenagers who believed their depression, anxiety, and stress were fixed and unchangeable reported more thoughts of suicide, and that this fixed belief helped explain the link between depressive symptoms and those thoughts. The researchers suggest that helping young people see these feelings as changeable, a growth mindset, may offer some protection. For anyone considering the practice, the important takeaway is a limit rather than a promise: because this was an observational study of adolescents in distress, a self-guided mindset exercise is not a substitute for professional care, and a young person struggling with depression or thoughts of self-harm needs clinical support.

**From Growth Mindset to Grit in Chinese Schools: The Mediating Roles of Learning Motivations.**

2018

Finding: This survey of 1,842 students in grades three through nine in a Chinese city mapped how a growth mindset, the belief that ability can be developed, connects to grit and learning motivation. The pattern that emerged was largely indirect: rather than lifting achievement on its own, a growth mindset appeared to work through qualities like perseverance and a genuine drive to learn. For someone building this mindset, that hints the payoff comes from strengthening the habits it feeds, such as sticking with hard tasks and staying curious. Because this was a one-time snapshot rather than a study that tracked change over time, it can show these traits travel together but cannot prove a growth mindset causes the others, and the findings come from a single student population.

**Grit and Academic Self-Efficacy as Serial Mediation in the Relationship Between Growth Mindset and Academic Delay of Gratification: A Cross-Sectional Study.**

2023

Finding: In this study of students, a growth mindset was linked to a greater willingness to postpone short-term rewards for longer-term academic goals, but that link ran mostly through grit and a student's confidence in their own ability rather than acting on its own. In practical terms, believing you can improve seems to help you stick with hard work not directly, but by building persistence and self-belief that carry you through difficult stretches. Because this was an observational snapshot rather than a controlled trial, and drew on student populations, it can show these factors move together but cannot prove that mindset causes the change.

**Mechanisms from Growth Mindset to Psychological Well-Being of Chinese Primary School Students: The Serial Mediating Role of Grit and Academic Self-Efficacy**

2025

Finding: Among primary school students, this study found that a growth mindset was linked to greater psychological well-being mostly in an indirect way, working through students' grit and their confidence in their own schoolwork rather than lifting well-being on its own. In practical terms, believing you can improve seems to matter because it builds persistence and self-belief, which in turn support how well you feel and learn. Because this was a snapshot study rather than a controlled trial, and drew on a single student population, it can map how these factors travel together but cannot prove that a growth mindset causes the improvement.

**The Relationship between a Growth Mindset and Junior High School Students' Meaning in Life: A Serial Mediation Model.**

2023

Finding: This study centers on a simple but powerful idea: that intelligence and ability are not fixed traits but qualities you can build through effort, good strategy, and steady learning. It set out to clarify how holding that belief connects to a person's broader sense of meaning and purpose in life, an area earlier work had left unclear. For anyone weighing whether to cultivate a growth mindset, the takeaway is that the practice starts with a shift in how you view your own potential, treating skills as things you develop rather than limits you're stuck with. Because this is a single study focused on the concept and its links rather than a controlled trial of an intervention, it's best read as one piece of a wider picture rather than proof that adopting this outlook guarantees a specific outcome.

**Do Immediate Gains Predict Long-Term Symptom Change? Findings from a Randomized Trial of a Single-Session Intervention for Youth Anxiety and Depression.**

2019

Finding: In this trial with 96 adolescents aged 12 to 15, a single growth-mindset session shifted how much control young people felt over their setbacks, and those shifts tracked with how their mood changed afterward: teens who left with a stronger sense that they could directly change their situation went on to show steeper drops in depression, while those who grew more able to adjust their own reactions showed steeper drops in anxiety over the following weeks. For someone considering this practice, it hints that the benefit may come from learning to see difficulties as changeable rather than fixed. Because this is a small, short study that measured which teens improved rather than proving the session caused the change, treat it as an early clue about how growth mindset may work, not settled proof.

**Effect of Shamiri Layperson-Provided Intervention vs Study Skills Control Intervention for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescents in Kenya: A Randomized Clinical Trial.**

n = 413

Finding: In a school-based trial with 413 Kenyan teenagers experiencing depression or anxiety, a 4-week group program led by trained non-specialists cut both depression and anxiety symptoms more than a study-skills comparison, and those gains held up seven months later, a moderate and durable effect. The program taught growth mindset alongside gratitude and value affirmation, so growth mindset was one of three ingredients rather than the sole cause of the benefit. For a young person, this suggests that a short, low-cost group course including growth-mindset ideas can ease low mood and worry, though the effect can't be pinned to growth mindset by itself, and this particular study looked only at symptomatic adolescents aged 13 to 18.

`Cohen's d = 0.45`

**Effect of Growth Mindset on School Engagement and Psychological Well-Being of Chinese Primary and Middle School Students: The Mediating Role of Resilience**

2016

Finding: In a survey of students, those who believed their intelligence could grow reported higher well-being and stronger engagement with school, and much of that connection ran through resilience: a growth mindset was linked to bouncing back from setbacks, which in turn tracked with feeling better and staying invested in learning. For your own practice, this hints that the benefit of a growth mindset may come less from the belief itself and more from the habits it builds, like persistence and recovering from failure. Because the study measured everyone at a single point in time and drew mostly on students from one region, it can show these traits travel together but cannot prove that adopting a growth mindset causes the improvement.

## Where does Growth Mindset come from?

Growth Mindset comes from psychologist Carol Dweck's research on implicit theories of intelligence, the beliefs people hold about whether ability and personality are fixed at birth or can be developed through effort, strategy, and feedback. Dweck's work across education, business, and relationships described how these beliefs shape persistence and learning, and later guided meditations adapted the idea into a rehearsable practice. These roots help explain the practice's form, its focus on catching fixed-mindset thoughts and reframing them, not proof that the practice produces a clinical effect.

## Is Growth Mindset safe?

For most healthy adults, building a growth mindset is a low-risk reflective practice with no known physical hazards; at worst, a reframe simply fails to land on a hard day. Two situations call for more care. If you are living with depression or having thoughts of self-harm, this practice is not a substitute for professional support, and reaching for real-world care comes first. That caution rests on observational research linking rigid, unchangeable beliefs about oneself with suicidal thinking in adolescents; it flags when to step up to clinical care, not a direct harm from the exercise itself (Zhu & Wong, 2022). The practice can also disappoint rather than help in settings that strongly reward fixed ideas about ability, where the "not yet" reframes can feel hollow and any benefit thins out, a context limit drawn from large cross-cultural data (Mantou & Wai, 2023).

### Who should practise with care?

Adolescents and adults living with depression, persistent low mood, or thoughts of self-harm should use this practice only alongside professional care, never in place of it. This is a practice-informed caution: observational research shows that fixed, unchangeable beliefs about oneself tend to travel with suicidal thinking, rather than proving a mindset exercise raises or lowers that risk (Zhu & Wong, 2022). People practising in settings that treat ability as largely fixed may also find the reframes ring false and the felt benefit stays thin, so the practice suits them less well (Mantou & Wai, 2023).

#### Depression or thoughts of self-harm

*low* · *evidence-based*

If you are living with depression, persistent low mood, or thoughts of self-harm, a growth mindset practice is not a substitute for professional support, and reaching for real-world care comes first. Use it only alongside a doctor, therapist, or crisis line, never in place of them. This caution rests on observational research linking rigid, unchangeable beliefs about oneself with suicidal thinking in adolescents; it flags when to step up to clinical care rather than pointing to any direct harm from the exercise itself (Zhu & Wong, 2022).

#### Fixed-mindset environments

*low* · *practice-informed*

The practice can disappoint rather than help in settings that strongly reward fixed ideas about ability, where the "not yet" reframes can feel hollow and any benefit thins out. Where you can, lean on supportive contexts that treat ability as changeable. This is a context limit drawn from large cross-cultural data, not a sign of direct harm (Mantou & Wai, 2023).

### How to practise safely?

Building a growth mindset works best as a gentle reflective habit you return to on ordinary rough days, rather than a fix you force in a moment of real distress. A sensible starting point is a short, honest reframe you can actually believe, given a little room once any keyed-up feeling has settled. If you are living with depression or thoughts of self-harm, keep this alongside professional care and never in place of it, and know the reframes may land less naturally in settings that treat ability as fixed.

1. **Check whether a reframe fits the moment.** Before you begin, notice how heavy the day feels. On an ordinary rough patch, a growth-oriented reframe is a reasonable first move; if you are in serious distress or thinking about self-harm, treat that as a signal to reach for support first rather than working it through alone.
2. **Put professional care ahead of self-talk.** When distress is real, contact a doctor, therapist, or crisis line. If depression or thoughts of hurting yourself are present, a mindset exercise is a supplement at most, never a replacement for direct help.
3. **Keep the reframes honest.** Aim for something you can actually believe, such as "I can't do this yet," instead of pretending a setback did not sting. An honest reappraisal loosens the grip of self-criticism, while forced positivity usually bounces off.
4. **Let the body settle first.** When a setback lands, the body often tenses and the mind races. Give that keyed-up feeling a moment to settle before you reframe, so the shift in thinking meets a calmer system instead of fighting a spike of stress.
5. **Fit it to your setting and keep returning.** If the people and places around you treat ability as fixed, the reframes may feel less natural, so lean on supportive contexts where you can. Come back to the short trigger-spot, notice, reframe sequence whenever a challenge arises, treating it as a repeatable rehearsal rather than a one-time fix.

### Medical disclaimer

This information is educational and is not medical advice. This practice is not a substitute for professional care and should not replace prescribed medication or treatment for any medical or mental-health condition. If you are managing a health condition or taking medication, talk with a qualified health professional before changing your practice. If you are in distress or crisis, seek professional support.

## How does Growth Mindset compare to similar techniques?

| Technique | Best for | Use with care | Distinction |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) | Structured treatment of moderate-to-severe anxiety or depression, especially with a trained therapist. | Usually needs several sessions and a clinician, so it is a bigger commitment than a brief self-guided reframe. | CBT is a structured, usually clinician-guided course of therapy that identifies and tests unhelpful thought patterns across many life areas, whereas growth mindset practice is a briefer, self-guided rehearsal focused specifically on reframing setbacks and ability beliefs. The two share the move of examining and reworking a thought, but CBT is broader in scope, more intensive, and carries a larger body of trial evidence for treating diagnosed anxiety and depression. |
| Grit and perseverance cultivation | Sustaining long-term effort and consistency toward valued goals once early motivation fades. | Grit evidence is largely correlational rather than from intervention trials, so building it is less clearly cause-and-effect. | Grit cultivation aims at sustaining consistent effort and interest toward long-term goals, while growth mindset practice targets the underlying belief that ability can change at all. The two are closely linked in the research, and a growth mindset is often studied as one route into greater grit, but grit is about staying power over time whereas the mindset shift is about how a single setback is interpreted in the moment. |
| Mindfulness meditation | Building broad present-moment awareness and a steadier baseline calm rather than reframing specific setbacks. |  | Mindfulness meditation builds a broad, present-moment awareness and a steadier baseline calm, whereas growth mindset practice borrows one mindful move, observing thoughts as passing events, and pairs it with deliberately reframing setbacks. Both use decentering, the shift from being caught inside a thought to watching it from a small distance, but mindfulness rests there in open awareness while growth mindset practice goes on to actively rework the meaning of the setback. |

## Other questions readers ask

### What is a growth mindset in simple terms?

A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities, intelligence, and personality can develop through effort, strategy, and learning from feedback, rather than being fixed traits you're stuck with (Jiang et al., 2023).

A growth mindset is the belief that ability and intelligence can grow with effort, good strategy, and learning from feedback, instead of being set for life (Jiang et al., 2023). As a practice, it means catching the "I can't" thoughts that show up around failure or criticism and deliberately reframing them toward "not yet." It's a way of relating to setbacks, not a treatment or a certain outcome.

### Is a growth mindset just positive thinking?

No. A growth mindset is the belief that ability can develop with effort, so a reframe like "I can't do this yet" reinterprets a setback rather than denying it stings (Jiang et al., 2023). That makes it a truthful reappraisal, not blanket positive self-talk.

No. Positive thinking tends to paper over difficulty with upbeat statements, whereas a growth mindset reframe stays honest about the setback while changing what it means, treating "I can't" as "not yet" because ability grows with effort, strategy, and learning from feedback (Jiang et al., 2023). The move is cognitive reappraisal, reinterpreting a hard moment as part of learning, not pretending it didn't hurt. This is a definitional distinction about how the practice is framed, not a claim that it outperforms positive thinking or treats any condition.

### Does growth mindset practice actually work for adults?

Not proven for adults specifically. The controlled trials sit in adolescents; adult support is indirect, from pooled data linking a growth mindset to modestly lower distress across ages (Burnette et al., 2020). Treat it as plausible but unconfirmed for adults.

Not proven for adults specifically. Direct randomized trials of the guided growth mindset practice have been run mostly with teens and school-aged young people, not adults, so the adult case rests on indirect evidence: across many pooled samples spanning ages, holding a growth mindset is modestly tied to lower psychological distress and more active coping (Burnette et al., 2020). Benefit also depends heavily on setting, and large cross-cultural data show it can help weakly or even work against well-being where fixed-ability norms are strong (Mantou & Wai, 2023). So the honest read for adults is suggestive, not yet confirmed.

### How strong is the research on growth mindset for anxiety?

Weak and mixed, anxiety is the least-supported outcome. A group program that includes growth mindset content eased teen anxiety in one trial (Osborn et al., 2021), but technique-specific single-session trials often show no significant anxiety benefit (Osborn et al., 2020).

Weak and mixed. Anxiety is the shakiest part of the research, and most of it comes from adolescents. A four-week group program that folds in growth mindset content reduced teen anxiety symptoms in one randomized trial (Osborn et al., 2021), but that tests a multi-component program rather than this practice alone, and single-session growth mindset trials often find no significant change in anxiety (Osborn et al., 2020). Across many studies a growth mindset is only modestly tied to lower distress, and any benefit can thin out in settings with strong fixed-mindset norms (Burnette et al., 2020), (Mantou & Wai, 2023). Read this as suggestive at best, not evidence it treats diagnosed anxiety or replaces care.

### How does reframing a setback actually change how you feel?

Mainly by changing what the setback means. Reading a failure as part of learning rather than proof of a fixed limit, a process called cognitive reappraisal, is thought to lift your sense of control over the difficulty, which in adolescent trials tracked with fewer depression and anxiety symptoms months later (Schleider et al., 2019). This is a proposed pathway from small studies, not a confirmed mechanism.

Mainly by shifting the meaning you attach to the setback rather than the facts of it. The core proposed pathway is cognitive reappraisal, deliberately reinterpreting a failure as a stage in learning instead of evidence of a fixed limit, which appears to raise your felt sense of control, and in single-session trials with at-risk teens that shift predicted fewer depression and anxiety symptoms later (Schleider et al., 2019), (Schleider et al., 2016). A secondary thread is arousal downregulation, the body's revved-up stress response settling sooner so criticism feels less physically alarming. These are early pathways drawn from small adolescent samples, suggestive rather than established, and not a treatment for any condition (Schleider et al., 2016).

### Can a growth mindset help your body recover from stress faster?

Possibly, but treat this as an early signal, not an established effect. In one small trial of at-risk teens, those who did a brief growth mindset session recovered from a stressor faster than a comparison group, tracked through a single skin-based marker of fight-or-flight arousal (Schleider et al., 2016).

Possibly, though the evidence is preliminary. In a single-session trial with at-risk adolescents (N=96), teens who completed a brief growth mindset session settled back toward baseline faster after a stressor than a supportive-therapy control, measured through electrodermal activity, the small shifts in the skin's electrical signal that track sympathetic (fight-or-flight) arousal (Schleider et al., 2016). This rests on one small adolescent trial measuring a single marker, so read it as a suggestive early finding, not a confirmed body change, and don't assume it carries over to adults or treats any condition.

### Is growth mindset practice safe if I'm dealing with depression?

Use care. For most healthy adults it is a low-risk reflective practice, but if you are living with depression or thoughts of self-harm it is not a substitute for professional care and should be used only alongside it (Zhu & Wong, 2022).

Use care. Building a growth mindset is generally low risk, but it is not treatment for depression and should never replace professional support when low mood, persistent distress, or thoughts of self-harm are present. Observational research in adolescents links rigid, fixed beliefs about oneself with suicidal thinking, which is context rather than proof that the exercise itself changes that risk (Zhu & Wong, 2022). If distress feels severe, treat it as a signal to reach for a doctor, therapist, or crisis line first, and use any mindset practice only as a supplement.

### Can a growth mindset make things worse in the wrong environment?

It can fall flat rather than help. In settings that strongly reward fixed ideas about ability, the "not yet" reframes can ring hollow and any benefit thins out, and large cross-cultural data even link a growth mindset to slightly lower well-being there (Mantou & Wai, 2023).

It can lose its footing in the wrong environment. Growth mindset benefits are modest and depend heavily on context: in societies or settings with strong fixed-mindset norms, the reframes can feel unconvincing and the felt benefit shrinks. Cross-cultural correlational data across 612,004 adolescents in 78 societies even found a growth mindset weakly tied to performance and negatively linked to well-being where fixed-mindset norms dominate, read as a fit and reduced-benefit limitation rather than proof of direct harm (Mantou & Wai, 2023). Where you can, lean on supportive contexts that treat ability as changeable.

### How do I start practicing a growth mindset when a setback hits?

Start small: when a setback lands, let the keyed-up feeling settle for a moment, then swap the "I can't" story for an honest reframe like "I can't do this yet." Repeat that spot-notice-reframe sequence whenever difficulty arises. If you are in serious distress or having thoughts of self-harm, reach for professional support first rather than working it through alone (Zhu & Wong, 2022).

Begin by checking that a reframe fits the moment. On an ordinary rough patch, give the body a beat to settle, then spot the fixed-mindset thought, notice the feeling it brings, and deliberately choose a growth-oriented reframe such as "this challenge is growing me", aiming for something you can actually believe, not forced positivity. Treat it as a repeatable, low-risk reflective rehearsal rather than a one-time fix or a treatment. If depression or thoughts of self-harm are present, this practice is a supplement at most, never a replacement for a doctor, therapist, or crisis line (Zhu & Wong, 2022).

### What's the difference between growth mindset practice and CBT?

Scope and intensity. Growth mindset practice is a brief, self-guided reframe of setbacks and beliefs about ability, while CBT is a structured, usually clinician-guided course of therapy that tests unhelpful thoughts across many life areas and carries stronger evidence for diagnosed anxiety and depression.

The main difference is breadth and depth. Both approaches share the move of examining and reworking a thought, but growth mindset practice narrows that to reframing setbacks and ability beliefs in a short, repeatable exercise, whereas CBT is broader in scope, more intensive, and usually works with a trained therapist over several sessions. CBT also has a much larger body of trial evidence for treating diagnosed anxiety and depression, so for moderate-to-severe difficulty it is the better-supported route rather than something a mindset reframe replaces.

## Glossary

### Growth mindset

The belief that abilities, intelligence, and personality can be developed through effort, strategy, and learning from feedback rather than being fixed traits you are simply born with.

### Fixed mindset

The belief that intelligence and ability are static and cannot really change, so setbacks feel like proof of a permanent limit rather than a stage in learning.

### Implicit theories of intelligence

The lay beliefs people hold about whether qualities like intelligence are malleable or fixed; this is the research framework, developed by psychologist Carol Dweck, from which growth mindset comes.

### Cognitive reappraisal

Deliberately reframing the meaning of a situation to change its emotional impact, for example reading a failure as part of learning rather than evidence of a fixed limit, which takes some of the sting out of it.

An emotion-regulation strategy that alters the emotional response to a stimulus by reinterpreting its meaning, studied here as a proposed active pathway in growth mindset practice.

### Decentering

The shift from being fully caught up in a thought to observing it from a small distance as a passing mental event, so an automatic "I'll never get this right" can be seen as a habit of mind rather than a truth.

### Self-narrative restructuring

Reworking the personal story you tell about who you are and what you can do, so the self-definition moves from "I'm someone who can't handle this" toward "I'm someone who grows through challenge."

### Single-session intervention

A brief, one-time structured exercise designed to shift a belief or skill in a single sitting, the format in which several growth mindset programs for young people have been tested.

### Internalizing symptoms

Inward-directed distress such as anxiety and low mood, as opposed to outward-directed problems like aggression; growth mindset trials in adolescents most often measure these.

### Sympathetic arousal

The body's fight-or-flight activation that ramps up under threat; how quickly it powers back down after a stressor is one marker researchers track, felt as the keyed-up, racing sensation easing off.

### Effect size (Cohen's d)

A number that expresses how large a difference is between two groups, letting a small but real change be told apart from a large one; values around 0.2 are small and 0.5 moderate.

## Full references

1. Kelsey Walker, Xu Jiang (2022). An examination of the moderating role of growth mindset in the relation between social stress and externalizing behaviors among adolescents. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12006 (observational)
2. Jessica L. Schleider, John R. Weisz (2017). A single‐session growth mindset intervention for adolescent anxiety and depression: 9‐month outcomes of a randomized trial. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12811 (randomized controlled trial)
3. Li Yue, Bates Timothy C, Yue Li, Timothy C. Bates (2019). You can't change your basic ability, but you work at things, and that's how we get hard things done: Testing the role of growth mindset on response to setbacks, educational attainment, and cognitive ability.. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000669 (observational)
4. Xu Jiang, Christian E. Mueller, Netanel Paley (2023). A Systematic Review of Growth Mindset Interventions Targeting Youth Social–Emotional Outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966x.2022.2151321 (systematic review)
5. Yuan Rong-Man, Peng Wen-Ya, Jiang Jiang (2024). Relationship Between Growth Mindset and Self-Control Amongst Chinese Primary School Students: A Longitudinal Study.. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s468490 (observational)
6. Jeni L. Burnette, Laura E. Knouse, Dylan Vavra, Ernest H. O’Boyle, Milan A. Brooks (2020). Growth mindsets and psychological distress: A meta-analysis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101816 (meta analysis)
7. Schleider Jessica L, Weisz John R, Jessica L. Schleider, John R. Weisz (2016). Reducing risk for anxiety and depression in adolescents: Effects of a single-session intervention teaching that personality can change.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.09.011 (other peer reviewed)
8. Zhao Wei, Shi Xiang, Jin Mingfei, Li Yangyang, Liang Chen, Ji Yilong (2024). The impact of a growth mindset on high school students' learning subjective well-being: the serial mediation role of achievement motivation and grit.. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1399343 (observational)
9. Lou Nigel Mantou, Li Liman Man Wai (2023). The mindsets × societal norm effect across 78 cultures: Growth mindsets are linked to performance weakly and well-being negatively in societies with fixed-mindset norms.. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12544 (observational)
10. Osborn Tom L, Rodriguez Micaela, Wasil Akash R, Venturo-Conerly Katherine E, Gan Jenny, Alemu Rediet G (2020). Single-session digital intervention for adolescent depression, anxiety, and well-being: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial with Kenyan adolescents.. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000505 (randomized controlled trial)
11. Shimin Zhu, Paul Wong (2022). What matters for adolescent suicidality: Depressive symptoms or fixed mindsets? Examination of cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between fixed mindsets and suicidal ideation. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12891 (observational)
12. Zhao Yukun, Niu Gengfeng, Hou Hanchao, Zeng Guang, Xu Liying, Peng Kaiping (2018). From Growth Mindset to Grit in Chinese Schools: The Mediating Roles of Learning Motivations.. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02007 (observational)
13. Zhao Hui, Li Yan, Wan Luyuan, Li Ke (2023). Grit and Academic Self-Efficacy as Serial Mediation in the Relationship Between Growth Mindset and Academic Delay of Gratification: A Cross-Sectional Study.. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s421544 (observational)
14. Yicen Meng, Yan Sun, Lizhu Yang, Yasmin Othman Mydin (2025). Mechanisms from Growth Mindset to Psychological Well-Being of Chinese Primary School Students: The Serial Mediating Role of Grit and Academic Self-Efficacy. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050621 (observational)
15. Zhao Hui, Zhang Ming, Li Yifei, Wang Zhenzhen (2023). The Relationship between a Growth Mindset and Junior High School Students' Meaning in Life: A Serial Mediation Model.. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020189 (observational)
16. Schleider Jessica L, Abel Madelaine R, Weisz John R, Jessica L. Schleider, Madelaine R. Abel, John R. Weisz (2019). Do Immediate Gains Predict Long-Term Symptom Change? Findings from a Randomized Trial of a Single-Session Intervention for Youth Anxiety and Depression.. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-019-00889-2 (other peer reviewed)
17. Osborn Tom L, Venturo-Conerly Katherine E, Arango G Susana, Roe Elizabeth, Rodriguez Micaela, Alemu Rediet G (2021). Effect of Shamiri Layperson-Provided Intervention vs Study Skills Control Intervention for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescents in Kenya: A Randomized Clinical Trial.. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1129 (randomized controlled trial)
18. Guang Zeng, Hanchao Hou, Kaiping Peng (2016). Effect of Growth Mindset on School Engagement and Psychological Well-Being of Chinese Primary and Middle School Students: The Mediating Role of Resilience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01873 (observational)

## More Growth Mindset in Insight Timer

Editorially curated. Tracks are not themselves clinically studied; evidence on the page applies to Growth Mindset as a technique.

- [Amor Fati: Why Failure Is The Key To Progress](https://insighttimer.com/JHumphreys/guided-meditations/amor-fati-why-failure-is-the-key-to-progress) — Jake Humphreys, Guided, 10 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Meditation On Harnessing Change For Growth](https://insighttimer.com/theaccessiblemind/guided-meditations/meditation-on-harnessing-change-for-growth) — Shanaya Gordon, Guided, 12 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Cancer - Your Work Is About To Be Recognized](https://insighttimer.com/terezaandrew/guided-meditations/cancer-your-work-is-about-to-be-recognized) — Tereza Andrew, Talks, 7 min, rated 5.0/5
- [What The Universe Desires For You](https://insighttimer.com/ericjohncampbell/guided-meditations/what-the-universe-desires-for-you) — Eric John Campbell, Talks, 29 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Trust The Process](https://insighttimer.com/premasudhajanethobbs/guided-meditations/trust-the-process_5) — Premasudha Janet Hobbs, Talks, 5 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Turn Your Dreams Into Reality](https://insighttimer.com/Unpackbyveer/guided-meditations/turn-your-dreams-into-reality) — Veerle Beelen Da Costa David, Talks, 12 min, rated 5.0/5
- [The Secret Of Being The Best That You Can Be GF Live 6-20-26](https://insighttimer.com/guyfinley/guided-meditations/the-secret-of-being-the-best-that-you-can-be-gf-live-6-20-26) — Guy Finley, Talks, 42 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Eight Cousins (Bedtime Story) Chapter 9](https://insighttimer.com/fairychamber/guided-meditations/eight-cousins-bedtime-story-chapter-9_1) — Niina Niskanen, Talks, 24 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Scorpio – You Know The Truth](https://insighttimer.com/terezaandrew/guided-meditations/scorpio-you-know-the-truth) — Tereza Andrew, Talks, 7 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Breaking Up With The Words: "I Am Stuck!"](https://insighttimer.com/getyourlifetogethergirl/guided-meditations/breaking-up-with-the-words-i-am-stuck) — Danielle A. Vann, Talks, 48 min, rated 5.0/5